Traffic warning device



May 23, 1933. H. COPPEL 1,910,791

TRAFFIC WARNING DEVICE Filed June 1, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR. EON/IED H. COPPEL ATTORNEYS.

May 23, 1933. H. COPPEL 7 1,910,791

TRAFFIC WARNING DEVICE Filed June 1, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fifi INVEN TOR. LEON/JED H. C OPPEL BY M V&

ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 23, 1933 PATENT OFFICE LEONARD H. COPPEL, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC WARNING DEVICE Application filed June 1, 1931. Serial No. 541,467.

My invention relates to and has for a purpose the provision of a trafiic warning device particularly adapted, although not necessa- A rily, for installation in a street or highway at an end of a pedestrian safety zone, the device being structurally characterized in a manner to replace a row of traffic buttons as now utilized for thispurpose, and to reflect light rays from the headlights of vehicles l9 approaching the safety zone", to thus be rendered luminous and clearly visible at night so that the operators of vehicles will be warned of the existence of the safety zone and can steer clear of the latter. p It isa further purpose of my invention to provide a traffic warning device of the above described character which is" of simplean'd inexpensive construction and is extremely a rugged so as to be proofagainst damage by the wheels of vehicles striking and passing over the device.

I will describe only two forms of traffic warning device embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof inol'aims;

In the accompanying drawings:

" Figure 1- is a view showing in plan, one

form of traffic warning device embodying my H invention.

Figure 2 is a view inside elevationpartly broken away, of the device shownin' Figure 1. 1 1 1 Figure-,3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows,-

Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of anotherform of trafiic warning device embodying my invention. I

Figure 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 4 and lookingin the direction of the arrows, and

a Figure 6 is an enlarged verticalsectional View taken on the line 66 of igure5 and looking in the; direction of the arrows,

Referring specifically to the drawings and particularly to Figures 1, 2, and 8,1ny invention inits presentembodiment comprises a body'B stamped or pressed from sheet metal so asto have the elongated and rectangular form inplanas shownin Figure 1,-the hottom of the body being open and its side walls 10 and 11 converging upwardly as shown in Figure 3 and merging into a curved top 12. The end" walls 13 and 14 of the body are removable therefrom and are of such contour as to loosely fit into the open ends of the body. At its bottom, the body is provided with an outwardly projecting marginal flange 15 whichas shown in Figure 1 is continuous around the side and end walls. This flange isprovided with openings 16 through which bolts 17 are adapted to be extended into a road surface to fixedly secure the body on the surface. From the outer edge of the flange 15 depends a flange 18 which is adapted to be imbedded in the road surface to prevent lateral displacement of the body.

The side wall 10 which is disposed at a steeper inclination than the opposite side wall 11, is provided with a series of openings 19 in the form of vertically extending slots at intervals throughout the length of the side wall as shown in Figure 1. Light rays are free to pass through the openings into the interior of the body and to strike a reflector R in the form of a flat mirror or a panel of suitable light reflecting metal or glass. In the present instance the reflector made in several sections for the sake of economy in manufacture and replacement, and the reflector is supported in the body by a holder H.

The holder H is constructed from sheet metal to provide a base flange 20 from which rises a vertical flange 21 having a lip 22 coacting with a lip 23 on the base flange, to define grooves slidably receivingthe reflector R. In the use of the device on softpavements, a plate 24 can be interposed between the body and pavement so as to prevent sink- L ing of the body into the pavements under the load of a vehicle passing over the body.

When the device is installedso that the length of the body B extends transversely of a safety zone at the end of the latter approached by vehicles traversing the roadway, it will be clear that as the holder H and the reflector R, are substantially co-extensive in length with the length of the body interiorly,

and the reflector R vertically disposed or slightly inclined rearwardly from a perpendicular, that light rays from vehicles approaching the safety zone will pass through the openings 19 in the body B and will strike the reflector so as to be reflected thereby and thus render the device luminous and clearly visible to the drivers of the vehicles. Furthermore, as the holder H is conconstructed of bright metal, that portion of its base flange 20 in advance of the reflector R functions to also reflect light rays'so as to increase the illumination of the device, all to the end that the drivers of vehicles approaching the safety zone at night will be positively warned of the existence of the latter in ample time to steer clear of such forbidden area. In order to have access to the interior of the body for cleaning or replacement of the reflector sections,'it is only necessaryv that a single bolt 17 and the respective end wall 13 or 14 be removed thus greatly facilitating these operations.

Referring now to Figures 4, 5, and 6, I have herein shown a second form of traffic Warning device which is primarily intended to be installed at an end of a safety zone to function in the same manner as the form of my invention previously described. This form of my invention comprises a hollow and elongated body Bef cast metal, having its opposed side walls 10 and 11 converging upwardly from its open bottom, the side wall 10 being at a steeper inclination thanthe side wall 11 and being provided with a series of openings 19 in the form of vertically disposed slots through which light rays are adapted to pass and strike a reflector R mounted in a frame 25, the ends of which are slidably received in grooves 26 and 27 formed in lugs 28 and 29 projecting into the body B from its end. walls 13 and let so as to support the reflector in a substantially vertical position. 7

At its bottom, the body B is provided with a marginal attaching flange 15* having openings 16 through which bolts '17 a are extended to secure the body to a roadsurface. A flange 18 depends from theflange 15 and is imbedded in the pavement to prevent lateral displacement of the body. The body is divided transversely adjacent one end as shown in Figures 4 and 5 so as to form two separate sections 30 and 31 the confronting edges of which are constructed to interfit as indicated at 32 when the sections are assembled on the road surface to form the complete body.

When the device is installed, it will be clear that by thus forming the device in sections, the section 31 can be removed by unscrewing a single bolt so as to provide accessto the interior of the body for cleaning of the reflector or the replacement of any of its panel sections in the event that they should become broken.

In both forms of my invention it will be noted that the reflector when installed, clears the top of the body so that any slight flexing or deformation of the body under the load of a vehicle will not impose such stresses on the reflector as would cause breaking of the latter. Due to the manner in which the reflector is associated with the body, it is thoroughly protected against damage so as to insure that the device will function at maximum efficiency over a long period of time.

Although I have only shown and described openings 19 and 19 in one side wall of the respective body B or B, it is to be understood that similar openings could be provided in the opposite side wall with a second reflector disposed reversely .to those illustrated so as to enable pedestrians in the safety Zone to see the device and preclude injury therefromJ I'claim:

1 A traffic warning device comprising a hollow body of elongated and rectangular form in plan and having an open bottom and opposed side walls converging upwardly from the bottom with one of said side walls having a multiplicity of vertical slots at intervals along its length, a reflector substantially co-extensive in length with the length of the body interiorly, and means for supporting the reflector vertically in the body to extend lengthwise'of the latter for the reflection of light rays through said slots.

2; A traflic warning device comprising a hollow, body elongated and rectangular in plan, the body having opposed side walls converging upwardly from its bottom with one of said walls having a series of openings at intervals along its length, and a reflector vertically disposed in the body and extending lengthwise of the latter for the reflection of light rays through said openings.

8. A traffic warning device comprising a hollow body elongated and rectangular in plan, the body having opposed side walls converging upwardly from its bottom with one of said walls having a series of openings at intervals along its length, the body being divided transversely adjacent one end to form separate sections the confronting edges of which are constructed to interfit, a reflector, and means for supporting the reflector vertically in the body to extend lengthwise of the latter including vertical grooves in the end'walls of the sections receiving the ends of the reflector.

4. A traffic warning device comprising a hollow body elongated and rectangular in plan,'the body having opposed side walls converging upwardly from its bottom with one of said walls having a series of openings at intervals along its length, a reflector substantially co-extensive in length with the length of the body interiorly, and means including grooves in the end walls of the body receiving the ends of the reflector to support the latter vertically in the body.

5. A trailic warning device as embodied in claim 2 wherein the bottom of the body is 5 provided with a marginal attaching flange having a depending flange adapted to be imbedded in a road surface to prevent lateral displacement of the body.

6. A traffic warning device comprising a hollow body of elongated and rectangular form in plan having an open bottom and opposed side walls converging upwardly from the bottom with one of said side walls having a multiplicity of vertical slots at intervals along its length, a reflector substan tially co-extensive in length with the length of the body interiorly, and a holder for supporting the reflector vertically in the body to extend lengthwise of the latter having a base flange, a Vertical flange rising from the base flange, and means on the flanges defining grooves slidably receiving the top and bottom edges of the reflector.

7 A traflic warning device comprising a hollow body elongated and rectangular in plan, the body having opposed side walls converging upwardly from its bottom with one of said walls having a series of openings at intervals along its length, a reflector, and

a holder for supporting the reflector vertically in the body to extend lengthwise of the latter, having a base flange, a vertical flange rising from the base flange, and means on the flanges defining grooves slidably receiving the top and bottom edges of the reflector.

8. A traffic warning device as embodied in claim 7 wherein a portion of the base flange of the holderprojects in advance of the reflector and provides a surface for reflecting light rays through said openings.

9. A traflic warning device comprising a hollow body elongated and rectangular in plan, the body having opposed side walls converging upwardly from its bottom, with one of said walls having a series of openings at intervals along its length, a reflector vertically disposed in the body and extending lengthwise of the latter for the reflection of light rays through said openings, and means projecting in advance of the reflector and providing a surface for reflecting light rays through said openings.

LEONARD H. GOPPEL. 

